An easy, snack-sized chocolate cake, made with cocoa and chocolate chips and a smear of caramel sauce, poked into the warm cake, then finished with a powdered sugar icing drizzle.
Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Caramel Poke Cake
Skip the chit chat, tips and step-by-step pictures and jump to recipe.Although I do have a few layer cakes I've done over the years, I'm really not a baker. Mostly they're not very pretty, though they're certainly tasty! The cakes I make most often are simple pan cakes, bundt cakes, or smaller, snack-sized versions, rather than tall, multi-layered cakes. I'm not a big fan of super sweet icings on any cake either, and the truth is, I usually scrape it off! I know. Kind of cake blasphemy isn't it? Most frostings are just too sweet to me.
I patterned this cake after one I saw in a Betty Crocker mailer, though I chose to go with a scratch version rather than a boxed mix. I have zero objections to using boxed mixes, and in fact, many of my favorite cakes start with one, but I didn't have one in the pantry and it's easy enough to whip up one from scratch.
Here's how to make this delicious snack cake. As always scroll on past the step by step pictures for the full recipe text, with measurements and a printable. Recipe is written for an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish.
Dig in!
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Recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Caramel Poke Cake
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: About 9 servings
Ingredients
For the Cake:
For the Icing:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cooking oil (vegetable, canola)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecan
- 1/2 cup caramel topping
Instructions
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk, more or less
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with Baker's Joy; set aside.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla and gently mix until batter is smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and gently press into batter. Scatter pecans on top.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few crumbs on it. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Use a large tined fork or spray the tip of a round handled wooden spoon with non-stick spray and use the tip to poke the warm cake in one inch increments all over the top. Pour caramel topping evenly all over the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to carefully spread. Let cool completely. Prepare powdered sugar icing, adding additional milk if needed for desired consistency; drizzle over the top of the cake.
Cook's Notes: May also sift powdered sugar on top or frost with your favorite icing once cake is fully cooled. Please remember cooking times are always a basic recommendation and estimate because all ovens bake differently. You must know how your own oven bakes and always adjust time accordingly.
Measuring Flour for Baking: Whisk the flour container to aerate it, then use a spoon to spoon flour into dry measuring cup to overflowing. Use a knife or other straight edge to level off measuring cup. Scooping your measuring cup into compacted flour further compacts it meaning you use too much flour, resulting in a dense, dry cake because dry to wet ratios will be out of balance.
Quick Homemade Caramel Sauce: In a medium sized saucepan, add 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and melt over low heat. Stir in 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup light corn syrup and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil; boil stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes before using, or store, covered in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
Chocolate Glaze: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and enough milk or buttermilk to blend until smooth, about 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoon. Spread all over cooled cake.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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